An investigation into the representation of geological maps by 15–16 year‐old Turkish students

This paper explores secondary school students’ representations of a geological map. Ninety‐two high school students (ninth graders – 15‐ to 16‐years‐old) participated in the survey in Turkey. The findings indicate that students have only a vague idea of how a geological map is constructed, and how the map is affected by the topography. The students’ poor understandings are based on insufficient information supplied to them during their learning process, and on their need to see things clearly in order to describe or understand them. Since research shows that developing an understanding of how to make and use geological maps fosters the development of cognitive skills in general, the implication of these research findings is that all pupils would benefit from education in how to make and use geological maps. Thus national curricula should require training in geological map work, teachers should be trained in teaching the necessary skills and textbooks should include good coverage of this topic.     

How do students misunderstand number representations?

We used both student interviews and diagnostic testing to reveal students’ misconceptions about number representations in computing systems. This article reveals that students who have passed an undergraduate level computer organization course still possess surprising misconceptions about positional notations, two's complement representation, and overflow. Contrary to common opinion, these misconceptions are widespread and reveal the need for instruction that specifically targets these misconceptions. In addition, these misconceptions will serve as the basis for the creation of a standard assessment tool called the digital logic concept inventory. This concept inventory will provide a rigorous and quantitative metric to assess the effectiveness of new teaching methods.     

Socio-educational bullying: repercussions revealed

Using a narrative autoethnographical approach, this article details the identity-related and social repercussions of my experiences as a former victim of social, verbal, and physical bullying in public Franco-Ontarian elementary (1986–1994) and high (1994–1999) schools. The highlighted experiences are more specifically correlated with social representations of feminine beauty and alternative sexual orientations. This article is based on a study that encompasses the following elements: the social environment that contributes to the production, development, internalization, and reproduction of social representations, norms, and identities through interaction; experience which includes stigmatization and bullying; and the continuity of experience inherent to socialization and identity formation. Other concepts (e.g. marginalized multiplicities and intersectionality) are also discussed.     

Improving Students’ Diagram Comprehension with Classroom Instruction

The authors tested whether students can be taught to better understand conventional representations in diagrams, photographs, and other visual representations in science textbooks. The authors developed a teacher-delivered, workbook-and-discussion–based classroom instructional method called Conventions of Diagrams (COD). The authors trained 1 experienced teacher to deliver COD to two 10th-grade biology classes (n = 31) and compared gains in diagram comprehension from COD to those from a business-as-usual control condition (n = 30) in 2 classrooms taught by the same teacher. Students in the COD condition showed statistically significantly greater growth in comprehension of literal and inferential biology diagrams. The control condition in some cases advantaged high-spatial, high-knowledge students, whereas the COD condition for the most part did not. Entries in the COD workbooks were analyzed for amount of student effort. Students with a combination of low pretest biology knowledge and low effort showed much lower gains from pretest to posttest on the inferential biology diagrams measure than did other students in the COD condition.     

Social representations and uses of technologies of African high-school students

ABSTRACT

This article examines social representations of information and communications technologies (ICT) in high school students in Niamey, Niger, and explores whether these representations are determined by training in and regular use of ICT. A sample of 50 students attending two lycées1 was studied. Only one lycée offered computer courses. The results of semi-directed interviews show that whether or not they took computer courses, the students developed social representations of ICT. These representations were associated with favourable attitudes toward computer and Internet use at school. The chi-square test hypothesis shows that students’ social representations of ICT were not determined by training in ICT.     

加强党的建设实现宏伟目标

学习江泽民同志"七一"讲话和"三个代表"重要思想,就要牢记为人民服务的宗旨,树立好公仆意识,全心全意地做好地方党委和政府的各项工作.     

历史的变迁——关于双嘎乡在贯彻"三个代表"重要思想以来发展变化的调查

"三个代表"重要思想是我们一切工作的根本指导思想.双嘎乡在贯彻落实"三个代表"重要思想以来,在政治、经济、文化等方面发生了巨大发展变化,但也存在着一些问题.     

乌蒙山中铁花飞——水钢炼铁厂贯彻落实"三个代表"重要思想的情况调查

"三个代表"重要思想是我们一切工作的指导思想.水钢炼铁厂结合自己的实际情况,始终以"三个代表"重要思想为指针,在工作中全面贯彻落实"三个代表"重要思想,把企业的发展和维护广大职工的切身利益作为根本出发点,形成了以科技为先导、技改图强、求真务实、开拓创新的企业精神,并朝着新型工业化企业的目标迈进.     

发展视阈中的马克思主义中国化的理论创新成果

在中国共产党领导全国人民从争取民主及民族独立到全面建设小康社会的奋斗历程中,从发展的视阈来看中国共产党人的理论创新,可以分阶段称之为民主独立发展论、改革开放发展论、"三个代表"发展论、科学和谐发展论。     

Genetics Reasoning with Multiple External Representations

This paper explores a case study of a class of Year 10 students (n=24) whose learning of genetics involved activities of BioLogica, a computer program that features multiple external representations (MERs). MERs can be verbal/textual, visual-graphical, or in other formats. Researchers claim that the functions of MERs in supporting student learning are to complement information or processes, to constrain the interpretation of abstract concepts, and to construct new viable conceptions. Over decades, research has shown that genetics remains linguistically and conceptually difficult for high school students. This case study using data from multiple sources enabled students' development of genetics reasoning to be interpreted from an epistemological perspective. Pretest-posttest comparison after six weeks showed that most of the students (n=20) had improved their genetics reasoning but only for easier reasoning types. Findings indicated that the MERs in BioLogica contributed to students' development of genetics reasoning by engendering their motivation and interest but only when students were mindful in their learning. Based on triangulation of data from multiple sources, MERs in BioLogica appeared to support learning largely by constraining students' interpretation of phenomena of genetics.